When the Black Moon Rises - Chapter 17
Chapter 17
Although there were several passages in the Mystic Realm that led to the human realm, the only passage that could send living beings to the human realm completely was the one owned by the Ju Clan.
It had been a checkpoint that guarded the gate to the human realm in the past, but after the Ju Clan had lost the war and the borderlines of its territory had shrunk, it had become a checkpoint at the border of the territory.
That single gate at the outpost was all that remained.
The other passages were usually treated as useless.
But Choi Deokmun had discovered the usefulness of the other passages during the war.
And so, having tried to contact the six clans with difficulty as an exile, he had made the following proposal.
“Since the Ju Clan’s soldiers have high spiritual power, their senses are also excellent, and so they keep detecting the allied forces of the six clans, making a surprise attack difficult. I have a good method.”
That method was to have the warriors of the six clans expel their spiritual power in the form of an spirit orb.
In a state where they did not have spiritual power, they would be able to approach the Ju Clan soldiers without being detected.
And so, they should transform the power within their bodies into the form of an spirit orb and take it out.
Since those spirit orbs could pass through the passages that were considered useless, he would receive them in the human realm and then transfer them to the next gate.
Then wouldn’t that make it possible to advance without being noticed by the Ju Clan soldiers?
That method had been used during this war, but it had made an even bigger impact during another war that would occur in the future.
It was when it had been revealed that the disappearance of the young members of the race had been caused by the Mystic Ruler, the Clan Head of the Ju Clan, due to his desire to become a divine beast, and the flames of war had once again blazed fiercely.
Separating a spiritual power that was more precious than their own life from their bodies?
That was a method that the mystic beings could never even have imagined, and after finding out about it, they were extremely reluctant to use it.
Therefore, during the previous battles, only the low ranking warriors had used that method, as there was a concern that Choi Deokmun might intercept the spirit orbs.
But after finding out that the missing children had been miserably killed after having their spiritual powers sucked out by the Ju Clan’s Clan Head, there was no more hesitation.
During the battles that followed, almost everyone in the six-clan alliance had entrusted their spirit orbs to Choi Deokmun.
That was when Choi Deokmun had requested a retainer contract.
If they signed that slavery contract, they would never be able to betray him, would they? That way, he could receive their spirit orbs without being worried.
Although it was a matter of sharing their lifespans, the six clans had had to do it to remove the possibility of losing even more power.
Those who did not want to lose only their own power had joined forces and made contracts, grabbing Choi Deokmun by his neck.
With just that spiritual power, Choi Deokmun had been able to escape the pain that had been tormenting his body.
After that, Choi Deokmun had requested a retainer contract for his son, but by then, the six clans had already decapitated the Ju Clan’s Clan Head. There was no reason for them to agree to the requests of an exile.
And so, Choi Deokmun, now in a rush, had attached himself to the Ju Clan.
He had first gained the favor of Ju Kyunghyun, who had become the new Clan Head, with words that someone had to take responsibility for the defeat.
And as a condition for his son’s retainer contract, he had turned the person that the Mystic Ruler wanted into a scapegoat.
And that had been her, Ju Sehwa’s, father, Ju Myoungyoon.
Choi Deokmun had decided to use the letters that he had exchanged with the six clans when they had been colluding.
With the permission of the Ju Clan's Clan Head, and with the help of her cousin Sa Yeonju, he had made all of her family into traitors.
Her nails once again dug into her palms as she clenched her fists, as she tried not to show any tears.
‘Even though I’ve been given another chance, why can’t I control my emotions like this?’
It was probably because of fear.
The fear that if she made even a small mistake, her parents would have to face such tragic deaths again.
Because of the terror that she would have to repeat that hellish five-year life in the underground dungeon once again.
The things that had yet to happen were making her suffer so much.
‘I have to be calmer. No one is an easy opponent. Everyone has a foundation that is more solid than mine, and more experience than me. I have to remember that if I'm not calm, then I won't be able to accomplish anything.’
It was at that moment, as she was gritting her teeth so hard that blood was drawn, and controlling her expression, that she heard a series of sharp whooshing sounds as if arrows were being fired.
Zing-!
Zing-!
‘What is that?’
The sound, which she would have ignored normally, was somehow stimulating all five of her senses.
It seemed that the middle-aged man before her felt the same, as well.
“What is that sound?”
The tense Choi Deokmun got up and opened the large window.
When the three sisters followed their young lady and looked outside, Choi Jangmyung also turned his gaze outside.
Zing-!
The sound continued.
‘This sound.’
At one point, Sehwa was drawn towards the door as if she had been possessed.
“Young Lady, please come this way. It may be dangerous.”
Everyone had already realized that this sound was one that had been created by a certain spiritual power.
Her attendants, who were uneasy about this phenomenon whose cause they did not know, tried to stop her, but Sehwa did not listen.
Several streaks of red light were flying towards them, drawing lines from far away across the blue sky.
It was then that everyone, having become doubtful about what they were, heard a loud explosion.
Pung-!
Bang!!!!
The streaks of light that had flown in exploded one by one with a loud sound, with a time difference between them.
The servants, who had been blankly staring at the sky, yelped and sat down, holding their heads in unison.
The explosions continued several times.
Even as people were screaming in fear, Sehwa was silently watching the scene, not even flinching.
She knew those streaks of light.
She had seen the same phenomenon in her previous life.
‘It’s the ring. The ring was broken.’
“I don't want to lose you.”
‘!’
She felt like she could once again hear that low, hoarse voice.
That voice, which had been so hot, as if it was pulling out a heart that was seething with a desperate fever.
“Please, just let me not lose you.”
She had already set her mind on someone else, and the owner of that voice and all of her beloved people were standing on different parallel lines.
Therefore, although that earnest voice had sometimes touched her heart, she could not respond.
She had been making herself believe that even that attraction was because of her loneliness from living far away.
"Even if it's just a bit, I hope you would share it with me. Your spiritual power."
He had said that, with a tone that was different from his usual one, as if he was somewhat nervous.
And then, he had even said that he would give her his own spiritual power, even though she had not asked for it.
Even when he had seen her turn away with a cold expression, he had kneeled down on one knee, as if he was begging.
His hot lips had clearly landed on her raised hand.
“……!”
Having remembered that scene, Ju Sehwa reflexively looked down at the back of her hand.
‘Good heavens.’
The faint line that remained, like a wrinkle, could not be seen at all unless you were looking closely.
‘Why did I forget about this?’
The back of her hand where the traces of his spiritual power had been engraved.
Without realizing that her lips were trembling, she slowly raised her dry hand.
“……Baek, Giha.”
As if that name was a spell, light gathered.
Like a miracle, the streaks of light that had been turning the void red softly stirred the air, and poured down upon her.
The light that had flown on the wind like a song shattered like stars around her.
A brilliant and dazzling sunset, as if she had climbed on top of the long-stretched twilight, unfolded inside the tidy room, creating a spectacular sight.
While she was taking in the streaks of light that surrounded her like stars…
“……”
Her body had stiffened as if it had been struck by lightning.
She couldn't understand why she hadn't been able to think about it sooner.
‘It was you.’
The trace on the back of her hand that had been erased when time had turned back.
The one miracle that a mystic being who had been reborn as a divine beast could create, putting everything on the line.
It had been used on her.
‘Good heavens. It was you.’
It wasn’t a god.
Even though she had thanked the god, it wasn’t a god who had turned this chance back for her, but a man who she had been ignoring.
And a divine beast who had used his wish was no longer a perfect divine beast.
Although his power would be the same, he would no longer have an immortal body.
“The Baek Clan’s Clan Head has suddenly left his territory two days ago……”
“It is said that he appeared at the outpost at the border of the territory today and requested permission to visit the Ju Clan’s territory. Alone, without an escort or attendants.”
With a body like that, he was entering enemy territory alone.
Probably……
‘To meet me.’
These lines of light were to let her know that.
Just like he had taught her in the past.
“Please, wait for me.”
‘What is this. Ah, what should I do.’
A hot sensation surged up, and Sehwa forcefully swallowed it down.
‘Don’t. I said I don’t want it. That I won’t accept it, that I don’t need it.’
“……Young Lady.”
“……”
“Young Lady, why are you crying?”
“……Ah.”
It was only when she heard Youngmu’s voice that she realized.
That her face had already become wet.
She had realized why her body had been so unwell all this time.
Because she had been forced to inherit that vast spiritual power.
Those symptoms had been appearing while the spiritual power that had been passed down from Baek Giha through the wish on her hand, struggled to settle inside her body.
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